280 THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 
throws doubt on their authenticity, since they plainly belong to Balenoptera and 
not to Megaptera. However, the error is probably a clerical one. 
The two pieces are thin and have the surface roughened by longitudinal and 
transverse raised lines. One piece (No. 13981) has a length of 28 in., and a breadth 
at the base of about 8.5 in. The second piece (No. 18982) is 28 in. long, with a 
breadth of 9.5 in. at the base. The former has two light-colored, translucent 
longitudinal bands, about 4 in. wide, near the outer margin. 
As no other material, representing this species, which passed through Scam- 
mon’s hands, is now accessible, I have endeavored to find out what the “Common 
Finback ” of the Pacific coast really is from other sources. The material at com- 
mand is meagre and consists only of (1) a skeleton formerly owned by Cope and 
now in the museum of the Wistar Institute, Philadelphia (see pl. 6, fig. 4; pl. 28, 
figs. 5, 6); (2) measurements of a specimen captured off San Clemente Id., Cal., in 
1895, and exhibited in Celoron, New York, in 1896.1 j 
The Wistar Institute skeleton is that of an adult animal, which, according to 
a record on a piece of paper found in the box which contained the skeleton, was 68 
ft. long. The mounted skeleton is 62 ft. 10 in. long. It is a very fine and practi- 
cally perfect specimen. The whalebone is slate-colored, streaked longitudinally 
with whitish, and the right anterior 6 or 8 inches all white. This is characteristic 
of B. physalus. ‘The vertebral formula is as follows: C. 7; D. 15; L. 15, Ca. 23 
+= 60 +. The last caudal is about the size of an apple. There are fifteen 
chevron bones. The following measurements were taken with the aid of Dr. Green- 
man, to whom my best thanks are due: 
SKELETON (MOUNTED) FROM WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA IN THE WISTAR INSTITUTE, PHILADELPHIA. 
(BELONGED TO COPE.) 
Total Weng th otyskeletonymotmted eer i-y- terreno a Rie aoe sercee 62 ft. ro in. 
Length of skull, straight, without premaxille..................\.... 3S eel 5 aa Onna 
Breadth \e “Mh eTEAtEStS orcs meg yerisie ie ss Se ols, eas eee etelcleaelereteer ol ren ed Roce ie Olas 
Length of rostrum, without premaxille..... Der ors Acari Gntcrpdn aon ro “ 64 “ 
Breadth “ f at middle 2s frame: i.) Sai pee rae ean Arete heres gS Ebest 
engthyof mandibleystraiphtere arse 115i e een ee ee eee ences ES) abs Ais 
ie S GUIEVE GE Erripem cy. tof: 202.45 ba sya de poeperad ya SRY ee ae aes TO ees ie 
Breadth oflorbitwWeast.s ace amieies xo ok suse Mies es eee eee ee 102 “ 
Py BE SS ROALES Cal searete teense och cine sah veh Rae oa acc tensed eae eel onesie ae eas 20 
Breadth) of scapula s.r teste asic. ors simi anaes er eet d a nototaley Pine hs 
Height: fat Le Seppe ct ts {eR aiy sce Orne ASA Rea tse a raed Bee rhe 
Mengthyof radiusa: Aces as eet shel la eed eer CHS epee En tee feeean terete 2“ of ~ 
OSS sarin east he SR emeetermnct« dt, aare ey sie alas era sears eiepaers Dy Oka 
So) SVE np TeACESt sae MRAM e's, Wiehe = Licesbol. sietsneieyer sta ae asoete aero sates 2. Th a 
Bread thyoh-axds cera peitee teeter aero peed rere eercieynsionet betes tmenerstsleters = 
IDSoIN Gy eenaraltoylenryn ravlslle. oo 44 cepa bese se cbucen coed Hobe seonontooouE igeemast ah 
Wenethiof acromionjofscapulawpreatest:).).- rr sinptetserrsfeeneteetetetetetelela rior TAN 
# 5) ES feorom olds cat Sree retepeececies 0 ota ac elninters Brice tee ee Tee rerele el 62 “ 
For these measurements I am indebted to Prof. H. L. Osborn, St. Paul, Minn. 
